A fifth-wheel trailer is generally a large, high profile trailer which is coupled to a large towing vehicle, such as a large pick-up truck. The fifth-wheel trailer is typically coupled to the towing vehicle using a fifth-wheel hitch or a ball hitch. A fifth-wheel hitch is typically mounted in the bed of the truck and is made to couple directly to the fifth-wheel trailer. Fifth-wheel hitches can comprise a movable or displaceable assembly that allows the point of coupling to be displaced, or they can be stationary with the point of coupling fixed. Stationary hitches are typically limited to operation with long-bed trucks because during sharp turns, the hitches often move through a wide range of motion utilizing space that may not be available in short-bed trucks. In many cases, short-bed trucks are designed in a manner such that they do not provide enough clearance between the cab of the short-bed truck and the front of a fifth-wheel trailer.
To overcome this problem, and to broaden the types of vehicles with which fifth-wheel hitches can be used, some fifth-wheel hitch assemblies have been designed to displace the fifth-wheel hitch back and forth between a rearward towing position and a position closer to a truck's tailgate, thus providing a short-bed truck the additional clearance required for executing sharp turns. In addition, fifth-wheel hitches are now being designed to be removable from the bed of a truck to permit full and unobstructed use of the bed of the truck when the fifth-wheel trailer is not being used. The result is a displaceable fifth-wheel hitch assembly that is removable from the truck bed.
Despite these apparent advantages, many displaceable fifth-wheel hitches utilize an assisted displacing system, such as a pneumatic system, that assists the operator in actuating the displacement mechanism of the fifth-wheel hitch. While efficient and convenient, such systems are expensive and are more prone to malfunction.
In addition, many displaceable fifth-wheel hitches, particularly those that are removable from the towing vehicle, typically utilize a vehicle hitch coupling system that itself is permanently or substantially permanently mounted to the towing vehicle, such as the towing vehicle frame, and that is used to support specific types of fifth-wheel hitches or that is used for stationary hitches. For instance, many conventional vehicle hitch coupling systems comprise a receiving component or portion that is designed and configured to only interface with a matching or corresponding coupling component or portion of a single, specific displaceable hitching member. Likewise, conventional hitching members, namely displaceable fifth-wheel hitches, are intended for use with a single, specific type of vehicle hitch coupling system. Such proprietary relationships between the hitching member and the vehicle hitch coupling system severely limits individual choice and/or selection. In addition, such proprietary relationships significantly increases costs in the event one desires to use a different hitching member with an existing towing vehicle, or vice versa, when one desires to use a different towing vehicle with an existing hitching member.